Huge explosions were heard across Iran as Israel carried out a “broad-scale wave of strikes” using 80 fighter jets targeting Tehran and Isfahan, where key nuclear facilities are located, as the war entered its eighth day. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE saw fresh drone and missile attacks on Saturday, even as Iran’s president apologised to the Gulf nations for the strikes.
However, President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a pre-recorded message, vowed to “never surrender”, firing a warning shot at US President Donald Trump. On Friday, Trump asserted that the US wouldn’s negotiate with Tehran without its “unconditional surrender”.
The conflict, which has upended global energy supplies and crippled air travel in the Middle East, has left 1,332 people dead in Iran and around 10 across the Gulf.
US-Israel-Iran War Day 8
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The major development of the day was a surprise address by the Iranian president, who apologised to the Gulf nations after carrying out wide-ranging strikes over seven days. Pezeshkian said Iran would stop bombarding its neighbours unless any attack on Tehran originated from the Gulf nations. Hours later, Trump called Tehran the “loser of the Middle East” and warned that Iran “will be hit very hard” today.
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However, after the address, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE saw fresh drone and missile attacks. The Dubai airport, one of the busiest in the world, briefly suspended operations after debris from a drone intercepted by UAE’s air defences fell in the runway. Visuals showed a huge plume of smoke rising from the airport.
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UAE also saw the Al-Dhafra Air Base, also used by the US, come under attack for the second time this week. Iranian state media claimed a US air combat centre, satellite communications hub, and radar systems were targeted using drones.
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Meanwhile, Qatar managed to repel a ballistic missile attack, while Saudi Arabia said 16 drones heading toward one of the largest oil fields in the Middle East, Shaybah, were intercepted on Saturday. Iran also destroyed a key component of the THAAD missile defence system used by the US at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
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On the other hand, in signs that the conflict is nowhere near its end, the US is preparing to deploy a third aircraft carrier, USS George HW Bush, to the Middle East. The US Central Command also said it has struck more than 3,000 targets in Iran and destroyed 43 Iranian warships in the past seven days.
